The Scottish Cup takes centre stage this weekend, with a trio of first leg quarter-final ties scheduled to take place.

Aberdeen Lynx face a tricky looking trip to Moray Typhoons on Saturday eager to make their mark in this season’s competition. The two sides have met twice in the SNL this term, with Aberdeen winning both games.

Lynx are currently third in the league, two points off top spot having played two games more than the teams above them, but defender Christian Johnson believes the cup offers a realistic chance of winning some silverware this season.

“The whole team are looking forward to the game against the Typhoons, as it would be great if we can do well in the Scottish Cup,” he said.

“It will be a tough game though – the Typhoons are always a difficult team to beat, particularly in their own rink. However, the boys are up for the challenge and hopefully we’ll come away with the all-important win.

“The remainder of the league is also a massive challenge if we are to remain in contention for the top spot come the end of the season. We really can’t afford to drop any more points – we have to go all out to win each game, which we are capable of doing.”

The weekend’s other ties see Kilmarnock Storm face-off against Dundee Comets on Saturday, while Paisley Pirates host North Ayrshire Wild the following day.

The Kirkcaldy Kestrels versus Solway Stingrays tie takes place next weekend, along with the second legs of this week’s matches.